Buttons



March 6, 1956 N, SPARER 2,736,938

BUTTONS Filed Aug. 4, 1950 United States llatent C BUTTONS Nathan Sparer, Winthrop, ll/iass.

Application August 4, 1950, Serial No. MM50@ 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-92) This invention relates to improvements in buttons. More particularly it relates to buttons of the general variety which have flanged portions of metal fitting together for clamping the margin of a flexible facing sheet which covers the portions of the button which are exposed when the button is secured on an article of wearing apparel, or the like. The invention provides irnprovements whereby the exposed covered face of such buttons conveniently and economically may be embossed with any desired design after the button is completely assembled, or at a suitable intermediate stage in the process of its assembly.

Buttons of the mentioned general variety may have their exposed face portions covered with woven fabrics of any of various textures, patterns, and colors, the covering may be of other suitable tlesible sheet materials, such as leather, imitation leather and available plastic films and sheetings. A variety of button eects have been attainable by proper selection of the button-facing materials, and by providing the metal portions of the buttons in different shapes. However, there has been a persistent demand for such covered buttons whose face portions could be variously ornamented by surf ce ein bossing, and numerous proposals have been advanced heretofore directed to covered buttons having surface designs embossed or molded in their covered face l3nt, so far as l am aware, none of the prior proposals has been acceptable commercially. Buttons made according to the prior proposals have been unsatisfactory `either from the standpoint of the required permanence of the surface effect, or from the standpoint of cost to manufacture. Also, when the prior embossing procedures employed moldable substances back of the facing sheet of a button, the facing sheet frequently would become objectionably stained as a esult of ingredients of the moldable material being impregnated into the facing sheet during the molding or embossing process.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a button structure wherein a flexible sheet extends over the face of the button and is clamped by interiltting metal elements inclutlingia metal back for the button, and wherein one or more disks of impregnable terial lls all available space between the facing sheet and the metal back, said disk or disks being impregnated with a permanently tacky adhesive substance, and the facing sheet being `pressed against and into the il ereghated disk material to produce a permanent embossed surface effect at the face of the button.

Another object of the invention is to provide a button having a flanged disk of suitably rigid sheet material constituting the back of the button, and having a flanged ring of similar sheet material cooperating with the flanged disk for clamping the margin of a flexible facing sheet wrapped over the ring and turned inward between the flanges of the disk and ring, portions of the facing sheet, within the circle of the ring, being depressed into deforming adhered engagement with moldable material which ice fills the interior space between the facing sheet and the back of the button.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a button having a flexible sheet extending over the face of the button with its marginal portions wrapped over the llange of a relatively rigid flanged underlying ring and clamped between the ring flange and a cooperating flange of a relatively rigid backing disk, the interior space between the facing sheet and the backing disk being filled and the portion of the filler adjacent to the facing sheet being an adhesive-impregnated deformable material to which the facing sheet is adhered with portions thereof permanently indented into the deformable material to provide an embossed effect at the face of the button.

t is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure of buttons, and more especially buttons of the general type which have flexible sheet ma terial covering their faces and at which faces it may be desirable to provide an embossed effect.

ln the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view looking at the face of a button embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View on line Z-2 of Fig. l, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is an exploded View showing the elements of the button of Figs. l and 2 in separated relation and in perspective;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to 2 but showing a moditied form of button embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 5 is view similar to Figs. 2 and showing another modification of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing still another modilcation of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a medial cross-sectional view of the single deformable disk of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, the button of Figs. l-El has a relatively rigid backing disk annularly flanged at l2, which may have secured centrally thereof any suitable securing means ld by which the button may be attached in any conventional manner to an article of clothing, or anything else that may require a button.

Ordinarily, the backing disk itl and its flangelZ will be of sheet metal, although it may be formed of suitably rigid and tough plastic or composition materials.

A ring lr6 has an annular flange lll thereon whose diameter is appreciably greater than the diameter of the flange l2 of the backing disk ill. This ring, and its flange, ordinarily will be of sheet metal but may be formed of plastic or composition materials, as suggested for the flanged backing disk it?.

rlhe interior of the button is filled with ay more or less permanently tacky adhesive-impregnated deformable material. As herein illustrated in 2 and 3, this filler material conveniently may be in the form of disks 2t?, 22, 2d of which the disks 2li and l2 are arranged in superimposed relation within the flange .l2 of the backing Aisk lll. rfhe third filler disk 245 is arranged exteriorly of ring 16 in covering relation to the opening in the ring, and a film or sheet of flexible material Z6, which maybe of fabric, leather or other suitable material in flexible hlm or sheet form, is arranged over the filler disk 2d and wrapped over the ring flange .lll with its marginal portions turned inward over the edge of flange and clamped between llange itl and flange l2 of the backing disk l0.

All three of the filler disks 2l), 22 and 2d, or at least the filler disk 24, will be of adhesive-impreg" ted deformable material whose adhesive is not a 'eciably transitory under deforming pressures. Latex-impregnated disks of felt have been found to be satisfactory for the purposes of the invention. The latex provides needed adhesive tackiness whereby the disks, when deformed by indenting pressure, remain in their deformed condition due to the adhesive property of the latex, yet the latex, in its tacky condition within and at the surfaces of the disks, relatively strongly resists expulsion from the disks under disk-deforming pressures. Hence, after a button of the Figs. 1-3 form has been completely assembled, it may be subjected to pressure of a suitable embossing die to impress any desired design in its face without the facing sheet 26 becoming stained by adhesive expelled from the underlying filler disk 24. In the cmbossing process, inner portions of filler disk 2d become pressed within the ring 16 into contact with the iler disk 22 while marginal portions of the disk 24 become molded on and over the ring 16. As the embossing pressure continues, the chosen design is indented into the face of the button. Notwithstanding that the facing sheet 26 may have been drawn relatively tight over the face of the button during assembly of the button, it may be drawn inward and downward over the surfaces of the embossed design during the embossing without being subjected to tearing stresses. This is due to the deformable character of the marginal portions of filler disk 24, which yield as the facing sheet is drawn inward and downward and, because of the adhesive tackiness of the disk 2d, the facing sheet becomes strongly adhered to the disk 24 which, in turn, becomes strongly adhered to underlying disk 22. Also, the latex-impregnated disks retain their shapes to which they become deformed by the embossing pressure.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of button which has only two filler disks 20, 28. Disk 2S is shown somewhat thicker than disk 20, and both disks initially are arranged within the flange of backing disk ld. Hence, when this button of Fig. 4 is assembled, the facing sheet 26 is drawn over the face of the button in direct contact with the ring 16 between whose flange f8 and the flange 12 of the backing disk, the marginal portions of facing sheet 26 are clamped as in the earlier described button. The facing sheet, in this case, should be assembled with appreciable looseness of the sheet where it extends over the face of the button so that the facing sheet, during the embossing, may be pressed downward within ring 16 into surfacing engagement with the filler disk 2S which latter becomes indented by the embossing pressure, similar to the indenting of the disk 24 in the Figs. l-3 button.

The button of Fig. 5 is generally similar to the Figs. l-3 button but shows a filler disk 20 which may be of cardboard or the like. A similar cardboard filler disk 20 may be substituted for the disk 20 in the Fig. 4 button, if desired.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a button of the so-called covered button type whose face portion quickly and effectively may be durably embossed with any desired design within a ring portion of the rigid body part of the button after the button has been completely assembled, and without danger of staining or otherwise marring the facing sheet of the button. Latex-impregnated felt disks are proposed herein for the deformable filler material into which the embossed design is indented, but it should be understood that other adhesive-impregnated deformable materials may be employed so long as the material tends to permanently retain the deformed shapes to which it may be indented by the embossing pressures without extruding adhesive into staining relation to the facing sheet.

Disks of relatively thick flannel impregnated with latex have been used in place of the earlier described latex-impregnated felt disks with excellent results. The impregnation of the disks, whether of felt or flannel, conveniently l may be attained by applying the adhesive to the opposite surfaces of the disks in suitably fluid form so that it permeates the disks substantially through their entire thicknesses, or the impregnation may be accomplished in any other conventional manner.

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Also, available synthetic resin adhesives may be employed as the impregnating agent so long as the amount of the adhesive impregnating agent is controlled and maintained substantially at the minimum required to maintain the disks, or other deformable mass, in the shape to which it becomes deformed in the embossing process, with no appreciable excess of the agent to be driven out of the deformable material under the embossing pressure.

What I presently consider the simplest practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 6 Wherein the flanged backing disk 10 and the flanged ring 16 may be substantially the same as in the earlier described embodiments. However, in Fig. 6, a single thick disk 24 of felt or flannel, is impregnated with latex, or a synthetic resin adhesive, or other suitable adhesive. Then the opposite surfaces of the disk are covered by a dry rubber adhesive film 2S which is of a nature to become fluid in the presence of heat. In this case the embossing pressure is applied in the presence of heat whereby the upper film 25, converted to fluid state, effects secure adhesion of the facing sheet to the deformed disk, while the lower film 25 secures the deformed mass to its backing element. Also, in the case of a synthetic resin impregnated agent, the fluid rubber of the upper film 25 tends to prevent passage of the resinous adhesive into the facing sheet. Fig. 6 shows, by the heavier stippling, the rubber of the films 2S after conversion to a fluid state, while Fig. 7 shows the disk 24 with the dry films 25 of rubber on its opposite sides.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression iri the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

l. A button comprising a relatively rigid annularly flanged backing member, a relatively rigid annularly flanged ring member mounted on the backing member with its flange extending around the flange of the backing member, a disk of latex-impregnated deformable material arranged exteriorly on said ring member and extending across the central opening therein, a facing sheet of flexible material covering said disk and wrapped around the flange of said ring member and clamped between the flanges of said backing member and ring member, lateximpregnated deformable filler material within the flange of the backing member, said facing sheet and disk being depressed within the central opening of said ring member to bring the disk into adhered engagement with said filler material, and said facing sheet being adhered to said disk and indented therein to provide an embossed design at the face of the button within the circle of said ring member.

2. A button comprising a relatively rigid annularly flanged backing member, a relatively rigid annularly flanged ring member mounted on the backing member with its flange extending around the flange of the backing member, a plurality of latex-impregnated disks of deformable material of which one is arranged exteriorly on said ring member and at least one other is arranged within the flange of said backing member and underlying the first mentioned disk, a facing sheet of flexible material covering said first mentioned exteriorly arranged disk and wrapped around the flange of said ring member and clamped between the flanges of said backing member and ring member, said facing sheet and the disk which it covers being depressed within the central opening of the ring member to bring that disk into adhered engagement with the underlying disk, and said facing sheet being adhered to the depressed disk which it covers and being indented into said depressed disk to provide an embossed design at the face of the button within the circle of said ring member.

(References on following page) References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Silsby Mar. 13, 1900 Schantz Nov. 25, 1919 Menkin Feb. 3, 1920 Woodruff July 25, 1933 Troy Mar. 26, 1935 6 Sart June 30, 1936 Novick Nov. 25, 1941 Untiedt Jan. 13, 1948 Weymouth Nov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 27, 1905 Germany Feb. 28, 1936 

